Big Plans by Gregg Motley

 

Over the course of my 42 years in the business world, lending to hundreds of businesses during that time period, I have rarely seen people succeed by accident.  Big success stories are almost invariably preceded by big planning.  Yes, these plans have had to adjust on the fly sometimes, but the fact that people are thinking strategically on an ongoing basis gives them a better chance at meeting their objectives.

 

That being said, I have seldom encountered effective planning by communities.  Perhaps it is because a 10-year plan seems meaningless to a politician whose term lasts for four years, but it is more likely because it is a herculean effort.  No matter what state, county or city undertakes the process of producing a plan, the project must be undertaken by credible citizens, and the diversity of the whole jurisdiction must be considered.  In today’s world of caustic social media, who among us has any critical mass of credibility left?

 

Despite these obstacles, the people and communities of Bourbon County must try; if we fail to plan, we are planning to fail every day.  We will all wake up one day and wonder how we have drifted so far away from the best we can be.

 

Some communities engage outside organizations to drive this process.  I don’t mind the thought of getting a consultant involved to give some guidance, but a third-party who drives the process misses the point of our own community learning to engage one another on a healthy basis and do our own planning on an ongoing basis.

 

What is involved in a Bourbon County comprehensive plan?  It starts with a solid vision of what we want to look like in 10 years, 20 years, etc.  The vision has to be doable and make sense in context of who we are now, what resources are available, and what we realistically can be; for example, it would not make sense for us to aspire to be the entertainment capital or the Silicon Valley of the Midwest.

 

Once we have a vision for the county, and every jurisdiction inside the county, we can begin to create processes within realistic timelines, set priorities and allocate resources.  There also needs to be standards and procedures set for reviewing the vision and adjusting it as conditions change or new opportunities present themselves.

 

Bourbon County REDI will begin discussions of the who, what, when, where, why and how of community planning.  Get ready to be a contributor, not just a social media naysayer.  If you have thoughts and ideas as to how community planning should unfold, we would

Special Events at the Lowell Milken Center During the Big Kansas Road Trip

The Lowell Milken Center is located at the corner of First and Wall Streets.

The Big Kansas Road Trip is scheduled for May 5-8, 2022, showcasing the counties of Bourbon, Cherokee, and Crawford. During this special Southeast Kansas event, The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes encourages visitors to tour the interactive Hall of Unsung Heroes exhibits and visit the new Unsung Heroes Park.  Both of these exhibit areas feature the dramatic and diverse stories of Unsung Heroes whose actions have had a profound and positive impact on the course of history. Tours will be available, free of charge, on Thursday and Friday from 10:00 – 5:00 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 – 4:00 p.m.

 

All visitors are invited to participate in specially planned activities during the Big Kansas Road Trip. Featured programs will include a presentation and children’s book reading by author Cathy Werling at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Cathy, the author of the Unsung Heroes Children’s Book Series, will give an overview of the series’ featured heroes and share one of her books.

 

The cornerstone project of the Center, Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project, will be the highlight of the presentations at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. Norm Conard and Megan Felt, two of the project’s creators, will share Irena’s amazing story.

 

The books in the children’s series, as well as Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project will be available for sale and can be autographed by the presenters. The Center will also have a drawing for the chance to win one of our Unsung Heroes books. All visitors are welcome to sign up.

 

An additional event at the Center on Friday from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. will be the introduction of best-selling author, Roxie Yonkey.  She will be autographing her best-selling book, 100 Things to Do in Kansas Before You Die. Books can be purchased during the event or ahead of time at RoxieontheRoad.com/Shop. Roxie commented “When I signed the contract to write 100 Things Kansas, the Lowell Milken Center was one of the top places on my list to include in the book. When I visited the center, I could hardly restrain my tears because of the moving stories that the center told. People need to know these people, and I am so glad that the center tells their stories.”

 

Yonkey has been writing about Kansas for over 30 years. The book 100 Things to Do in Kansas Before You Die is her second book. In 2020, she co-authored the book Midwest Road Trip Adventures, which includes road trip guides for all 12 Midwest states. Her new book, Secret Kansas: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure, will come out in the spring of 2023.

About the Lowell Milken Center: The Lowell Milken Center is a non-profit 501 © (3) that works with students and educators within a range of diverse academic disciplines, to develop projects focused on unsung heroes. Once their projects are finished, we advocate the student’s unsung heroes by sharing them in our Hall of Unsung Heroes or our website so people all over the world discover their individual influence and obligation to take actions that improve the lives of others. The Hall of Unsung Heroes is proudly located in Southeast Kansas and showcases some of the top projects developed in collaboration with the Center.

USD234 News Release

NEWS RELEASE

 

Friday, April 29, 2022

 

Members of the USD 234 Board of Education met at 424 S. Main for a special board meeting on Friday, April 29, 2022, at 5:00 p.m.

The board approved participation in the KanAWARE Grant.

Board members discussed the timeline and process of the superintendent search.

Board members approved removing the following agenda items:

 

·       An executive session to discuss personnel matters for nonelected personnel

·       Consider employment

 

The board adjourned

USD234 Superintendent Search Update

 

USD 234 Board of Education Building, 424 S. Main

April 29, 2022

 

Message for Stakeholders:

 

On behalf of the board, we would like to update our stakeholders and staff on the Superintendent Search process, specifically the opportunities for input and feedback on candidates.

 

The first opportunity was with the online survey, there was an amazing response – thank you. The next opportunity for feedback will occur during the candidate interview process.

 

There will be two “meet and greet” receptions open to all staff and community members during the candidate’s visit and tour of our district.

On each day of finalist interviews, scheduled for May 10, 11 and/or 12, the district will host public receptions at 4:00 p.m. and again at 5:30 p.m. It is our hope that providing two times on each day will allow staff and community to select the time that best fits their personal and work schedules.

 

KASB will collect feedback from each of these events and provide the data to the board for consideration. More specific information regarding location and specific dates will be shared as soon as the board determines the number of finalists for interviews.

 

The USD 234 Board of Education wants to use the opportunities provided through the search process to engage the voices of our staff and patrons in helping us identify the best course forward for our district.

Submitted by

USD 234 Fort Scott Board of Education

 

Bourbon County Commission Agenda for May 3

Agenda
Bourbon County Commission Room

1st Floor, County Courthouse

210 S. National Avenue

Fort Scott, KS 66701

Tuesdays starting at 9:00

Date: May 3, 2022

1st DistrictLynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________

2nd DistrictJim Harris Corrected: _______________________

3rd DistrictClifton Beth Adjourned at: _______________

County ClerkAshley Shelton

MEETING HELD IN THE COMMISSION ROOM

Call to Order

Flag Salute

Approval of Minutes from previous meeting

Eric Bailey Road and Bridge Report

Justin Meeks, County Counselor Comment

Susan Bancroft, Finance Director Comment

Public Comment

Elected Officials Comment

Commission Comment

Obituary of Remington Meek

Remington Rose Meek, infant daughter of Tanner Meek and Elizabeth Rose Meek passed away shortly after birth on Monday, April 25, 2022, at the Nevada Regional Medical Center in Nevada, Missouri.

In addition to her parents, she is survived by grandparents, Misty Miles of Ft. Scott, Joanie Rose and Shannon Parker both of Goodman, Missouri and great-grandparents, Trissa Bartlett, Randy Bartlett, Harry Meek and Bonnie Meek, all of Ft. Scott, Dennis and Debbie Rose of Goodman, Missouri and Mary Parker of Ranger, West Virginia.  Also surviving are numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her grandfather, Curtis Meek.

The family will receive friends from 4 to 5 P.M. Tuesday, May 3rd at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Memorials are suggested to the Remington Rose Meek Memorial Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 666701.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com

Local Agricultural Animals Photo Contest Starts Today

A local agriculture business is sponsoring a photo contest that will feature cattle, goats and sheep.
“We are starting our annual photography contest today and wanted to make sure residents of Fort Scott had the opportunity to participate as well,” said Sam Raney, Marketing Coordinator at ReproLogix.

It’s time for another Photo Contest!!📸

Here’s how to enter:

 

✅Email a picture of your entry to [email protected].

✅Include in your email: your name, age, address, and phone number.

Limit one (1) entry per person, per category.

(You can submit one Small Ruminant and one Cattle picture.)

Contest begins April 29th, 2022 and ends May 13th , 2022

1 like = 1 vote. Images will be posted The winners will be announced on Friday August 27th.

First place winner will receive a $1000 Visa Gift Card.

Second place winner will receive a $500.00 Visa Gift Card.

Third place winner will receive a $250.00 Visa Gift Card.

All entries become the property of Reprologix and may be used or reproduced in any manner and for any purpose by Reprologix without additional consent or compensation, and will not be acknowledged or returned.

Image.jpeg

Prayer Walk Next Thursday Eve at Riverfront Park

Pioneer Kiwanis, taken from its’ Facebook page.

Fort Scott Pioneers Kiwanis  Club will host a prayer walk for the National Day of Prayer on May 5 at  Riverfront Park on North National Avenue near the Marmaton River.

The tall deciduous trees give shade to walkers on the Belltown Trail in Riverfront Park.

“It worked so well last year during (the) COVID-19 (Pandemic),” said Marlene Braker, treasurer for the group. “When COVID hit we couldn’t host the annual breakfast event (which is held) at Fort Scott Community Collge.”

This year when they began planning the event, there were still COVID constraints, so they decided to do the prayer walk again, which allows for small groups in the open air.


The walk will take place between 4:30 – 6 p.m. The public is invited to stroll the loop and stop at each of four designated reflection points to pray.

“It’s a nice level path, with benches to sit and pray,” Braker said.

Unless there are storm warnings out, the event will take place, she said.

Parking near the trailhead is limited but overflow parking is available at Twister Trailers across the street.

2022 NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER THEME

Graphic taken from the National Day of Prayer website.

The theme for the 2022 National Day of Prayer is a call to praise in prayer:

‘EXALT THE LORD, WHO HAS ESTABLISHED US’ based on Colossians 2:6-7 NASB

“This theme is set against the backdrop of an inspiring painting created exclusively for the National Day of Prayer by renowned Christian artist, Ron DiCianni. The image illustrates God’s people joining His angels in EXALTING Him as we pray, because He is God Almighty. We have bold access to His throne and passionate confidence as we pray – because HE HAS ESTABLISHED US in this nation and is working in the heavenlies to accomplish all that He has purposed – as we PRAY FOR AMERICA!, according to the National Day of Prayer website.


On May 5th, Americans from all walks of life will unite to lift up our country in prayer for the National Day of Prayer. Our nation has endured tragedy and pain, but we know prayer has carried us through these days and the hand of God will move us into a brighter future”.


About Pioneer Kiwanis

The Fort Scott Pioneer Kiwanis is a service organization helping the children of Bourbon County

The group meets on Thursdays at noon at the First United Methodist Church,Third Street and National Avenue, in fellowship hall.

 

The current officers and board of directors are as follows:

Elizabeth Schafer, President
Diane Spencer, Immediate Past President
Millie Karleskint, President Elect
Kelley Collins, Secretary
Marlene Braker, Treasurer
Cheryl Basore, Director
Vickie Chaplin, Director
Nancy Hart, Director
Gayle Sackett, Director
Judy Wallis, Director

Other members include:
Marlene Arndt
Dee Ann Davis
Sally Eckles
Tammy Helm
Bernita Hill
Carol Clyde Gallagher
Aileen Pollock
Gina Staudinger
Sylvia Trujillo

“In 1952, President Harry Truman signed a bill into law establishing a National Day of Prayer, ” Collins said. “It is a day set aside for prayer and meditation and recognizes the role of religion in our country.”
“The Kiwanis Pioneers have held a public activity on the National Day of Prayer for over 25 years.,” Collins said.

Recently in honor of a Joyce True, a friendship swing was installed at Gunn Park by the group.

To learn more about the swing for the community:

Friendship Swing Dedication During Chamber Coffee April 28

On Thursday the Fort Scott Pioneers Kiwanis Club presented a friendship swing at Gunn Park to the community. Marlene Braker and Judy Wallis are standing, and Vickie Chaplin and Dee Ann Davis are in the swing. Taken from the organization’s Facebook page.

 

For The Shame of It by Patty LaRoche

Patty LaRoche

If you watch the news, you saw it.

A public relation’s nightmare unfolded in the White House.

Barak Obama, the U.S. President from two terms previous to Joe Biden, was invited to speak to a group of selected Democrats applauding the 10th anniversary of Obama Care, a universal health care program unearthed under Obama’s tutelage.

Following the charismatic Obama’s talk, those in attendance encircled him, fawning over this opportunity to be near their political hero.

The cameras caught a rejection tragedy live, for President Joe Biden looked like a lost soul, struggling to find someone to pay attention to him.  Biden meandered on the outskirts of the celebratory Obama swarm, reminding me of middle schoolers sitting alone at a cafeteria table, desperate to be noticed.

The airways played that tape ad nauseum.

One doesn’t have to be a Biden fan (but everyone should respect the position of President) to imagine what those few moments of feeling like a “nobody” had to be like. I mean, I’ve known rejection, but never in view of the entire world.  Here he was, the president of the most powerful nation in the world, and no one cared.

A week later, someone sent out a musical version of President Biden first trying to get Obama’s attention, only to finally give up, wander aimlessly in the background and ultimately reach for the hand of some woman in the audience. The song “All By Myself” played in the background, and I thought, this scene by itself is tragic enough; adding a musical score truly compounds the humiliation.   

 But then I realized something.  If Jesus—whose humanity was a picture of rejection– wasn’t above such shaming, why should any human, no matter how powerful, be different?  And yes, I know that Jesus had no music accompanying his tortuous death, but he did have celebratory Roman guards competing for his clothing and mocking his pain.  More tragically, on the cross he endured the ultimate rejection. Matthew 27:45 tells us that at the ninth hour Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”  God Himself had turned His back on His son, the one representing the sins of the world—us! —for which he willingly gave up his life.                                                                                                                                                     Rejection hurts, so if we felt sorry for President Biden when Obama turned his back on him, I get it.  But maybe it needs only to point us to the rejection we deserved but never endured.

 

Starlite FCE Minutes of April 21,2022

The Starlite FCE meet April 21st at the Yeager building on the Bourbon County Fairgrounds.  The meeting was called to order by Vice President Joyce Allen.  She also led the club in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and the Club Collect.  Ten members and one guest were in attendance.  The members reported 24 hours of volunteer work and that they had recycled 545 pounds.

 

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and corrected.  Doris Ericson presented the Treasurer’s report.  There was no council report. Deb Woods reported that she had attended the Healthy Bourbon County meeting.

 

Joyce announced that Glenda Miller was our only Birthday for the Month of April.

 

Old business consisted of a report from Joyce Allen that the Easter items had been delivered to Tri-Valley.

 

Under new business it was announced that Aging with Attitude will be April 29th at FSCC starting at 9:00, and that the Spring Tea will be May 3rd at the Bronson Community Center.  Eight members present signed up to attend.  The Area Recognition Day will be May 17th at Fort Scott’s First Southern Baptist Church.  The cost to attend is $10 and can be given to Doris Ericson.  The speaker for the Recognition Day will be from the Lowell Milken Center.

 

Deb Lust moved that the Club present the lesson Last Wishes at the fair, Deb Woods second the motion, motion carried.

 

Deb Woods moved that the meeting be adjourned, Helen Carson second the motion, meeting adjourned.  After the meeting the lessons of More Plants on the Plate and Show me the Power of Healing Foods was presented to the members by Terri Williams as they enjoyed refreshments of fruit parfaits and assorted vegetables and dips, with water provided by Deb Lust and Terri Williams.

 

Prepared by

Terri Williams

Minutes of the April 19 Bourbon County Commission Meeting

April 19, 2022 Tuesday 9:00 am
The Bourbon County Commission met in open session with Jim Harris, Lynne Oharah
and the County Clerk present.

Anne Dare, Clint Walker, Don Coffman, Matt Crystal, Mark McCoy, Bill Michaud, Rob
Harrington, Lora Holdridge, Annie Clarkson and Bill Martin were present for some or
all of the meeting.

Lynne made a motion to approve the previous meetings minutes. Jim seconded. All
approved.

Eric Bailey presented an entry permit at 2500 Tomahawk for William Pope. Lynne
made a motion to approve the entry permit for William Pope. Jim seconded. All
approved. Eric stated the federal fund exchange amount is $110,072.57. If we do the
buyback through KDOT at 90 cents on the dollar it will be $99,065.32. Jim Harris
signed the agreement. Eric reminded everyone that Thursday is the District 4
meeting at Chanute at 9am. Eric and Dustin Hall will be going. The punch list for
Jayhawk Wind’s Road Use Agreement is complete with punch list. We are in the final
stages of finishing the RUA. Eric said we should have our roads back in our possession
very soon. There is an Open House for Jayhawk Wind for the commissioners to come
meet the operators on Thursday from 3pm to 6pm at the Operations & Maintenance
building. Eric gave a breakdown of the asphalt meeting broke down by district. Gave
a handout of what cost would be. District 3 has no asphalt but would like to do some
preventative maintenance. Lynne asked if it could be cut down between Native &
maple. Dustin stated possibly a little but they wanted to get around both curves as
there is breakdown in the section. Jim stated all districts are important. If money
runs out you have to stop. Justin Meeks stated that Clifton is forgoing asphalt in
District 3 to try to help out the other two districts. Justin also stated that he and Eric
and Susan have discussed the need for a new crusher. Susan stated there is some
federal funding we could go after. Susan had some information on the crusher that
was handed out. Susan stated we would need some monies from the PILOT fund until
some other debt is paid off. We have two years that we have to work with other
funds to pay the note. Justin asked how much of this year’s proposed would have to
be cut to buy the crusher? Dustin stated between $100,000.00 to $150,000.00
depending on what total price is. Susan stated the other thing we need to think
about is so far we have done 3 blasts which is about $120,000.00. To do 4 blasts it’s
going to be $160,000.00. That will be $40,000.00 per year for blast #4. You’re going
to have $80,000.00 for 2 additional blasts so that we can make enough rock. There is
going to be about $136,000.00 per year in expenses to make enough rock and pay for
the blasts. Jim asked Eric about federal funding. Eric stated $60,000.00 has to go for
the bridge on Fern Rd. Susan stated that there are some projects we can after for
funding. The project at Elm Creek dam would qualify so we need to dig into some of
the grants. Lynne made a motion to move Eric Bailey to the end of the meeting after
commissioner comments giving them time to come up with hard numbers on crusher.
Jim seconded. All approved.

Lora Holdridge stated that Caleb Chaplin and they are going to request a road closing
at Pawnee. We noticed there is another land owner that owns all the other land to
the south and they own everything. Could we contact Mr. Callow who owns the
property and ask if we could vacate to save money? Jim said yes.

Bill Martin stated they are part of the Federal Forfeiture group and they are required
to send in an annual certification report to make sure that the funds we get from
Federal Forfeiture Funds are reported properly. The report states no money has been
spent as of now. Lynne Oharah made a motion to allow Jim Harris to sign this
agreement. Jim seconded. All approved.

Justin Meeks requested an executive session for attorney client privilege. Lynne
made a motion for an executive session for KSA 75-4319(b)(2) for consultation with an
attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the
attorney-client relationship including 2 commissioners, Susan Bancroft, Justin Meeks
for 4 minutes returning at 9:43am. Jim seconded. All approved. Lynne made a
motion to return to normal session at 9:43am with no action. Jim seconded. All
approved.

Justin Meeks stated that 2 weeks ago there was discussion regarding Elm Creek Lake
with regards to a public/private partnership. We have some ground work to do on
getting bids to fix up the exterior of the 3 structures – The main lodge and two cabins.
The idea of the public/private partnership is to have help being the managers of like
an Airbnb. Eric is planning to drain the lake in early fall and it will be empty for quite
some time in order to repair the dam. This would be the perfect time to explore the
partnership. Now that we have Rob and Susan on board and with Shane’s expertise
with historical preservation we can maybe at the end of May to go out for bid to see
who would be interested in helping us with this public/private partnership. Looking
at having canoe rentals, RV hookups, getting water to the three structures. The
public/private partnership would manage it. There would be a 60/40 split of profits
40% to the county and 60% to them. Discuss next week the bid process.

Susan did a 5 year comparison and a 2021 year in review for Public Works. We are
going to start implementing this into our budget document for every department. To
show people where we have been and what we have accomplished. We are going to
add projected projects for 2023. One of the things I want to highlight is the fueling
station. We are getting our gas about 40 cents cheaper. Most of the departments are
taking advantage of that. I want to praise those who are trying to keep costs down as
much as we can and that’s where departments are working together to do that. We
had a problem in the landfill last year but have recovered. Susan stated that
financials aren’t balanced and we are working through that this week. I’ve notified
the treasurer that we have about $20,000.00 variance and so we are working through
that. Susan requested an executive session for proprietary. Lynne made a motion for
an executive session KSA 75-4319(b)(4) to discuss data relating to financial affairs or
trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trust, and individual proprietorships for

10 minutes including Rob Harrington, Shane Walker, Justin Meeks, Susan Bancroft and
2 commissioners returning at 10:10am. Jim seconded. All approved. Lynne made a
motion to return to normal session at 10:10am with no action. Jim seconded. All
approved.

Public Comment: Bill Michaud requested that the county consider a transient guest
tax in the county. Anne Dare asked if Elm Creek Lake was a WPA project? Lynne
stated that the entirety of Elm Creek Lake was a WPA project. She wants to make
certain that research is done so that we are in compliance as this project is ongoing.
Susan stated that we have a CFAP program out there. We’ve got to make sure we are
standing up to that agreement. Anne asked about the crusher and grants that will be
requested for other Road & Bridge projects. The county was turned down for a base
grant and it’s been on the news that several cities in the area did receive one.
What’s going to change that will give us a better chance of getting one? Is there
anything in the works to give us a better chance? Susan stated that yes from the
financial perspective. There is oversight and we are doing better in meeting our
deadlines. We can’t change past violations and when we submit a grant application
we are asked to submit our audit from previous years. It will take us two or three
years to get out of that cycle. Not all grants ask for that information, most federal
grants do. Anne asked if it is helpful that we are implementing internal controls?
Susan stated yes. Anne asked if there have been internal controls in the past? Susan
stated yes. Rob Harrington called to ask about the base grant that we didn’t receive.
There were several grant requests within Bourbon County and none of them were
granted. Twenty grants got a perfect score and underneath that 33 grants tied for
sub-perfect scores. They stated we were very close. There is an opportunity to write
a letter and ask that a second round of base grants be opened. A lot of the grants
went to Johnson and Sedgwick County. Those grants will touch a lot more people
being larger counties. One was a $10 million dollar grant in Johnson County for a
development up there. The Topeka Zoo got 3 million. Another project received 7.9
million. Tie breakers on grants are usually letters of support. If you think it’s a great
project to write a letter of support. Jim responded to Anne’s comments on Elm Creek
that there would be a lot of discussion and public involvement before anything is
done. Mark McCoy stated that he is no longer a city employee. While employed by
the city I made a personal commitment to the city commissioners that I was 100%
committed to them and would limit my contact with the county. I am once again in a
volunteer capacity at the county working with Emergency Management. He said that
he would like to reiterate what Bill Michaud said in that he would like to see a county-
wide transient tax. Mark also stated that he would not be in alignment to renting the
Elm Creek cabins for a month. I don’t think you want to do a long term stay. Susan
stated that after a certain period of time the transient tax runs out. Mark stated he
believed it to be at 28 days. Bill Michaud confirmed that to be correct. Mark
mentioned that the county website needed to be updated. Ashley stated that Shane
Walker has been working with Mat Casner to update the site and changes will be
coming. Mark stated that he has been asked to come onboard with Bourbon County
REDI as the Small Business Coordinator and have accepted. I’m happy to volunteer.
It’s the right thing to do. Mark stated this is a very busy week for Bourbon County.

There is a bicycle race, a mud race and civil war reenactment and ball games are
starting up. St. Mary’s Gala is this weekend as well. Don Coffman stated Old 69
North (215th) is in bad shape. Jim stated that it is on Clifton’s list. Don stated that it
might just need a surface coat. Jim stated that it is on Eric’s maintenance list.

Elected Official Comment: Ashley stated that she and Doretta would be going to
Election training the next two days. We hope to learn a lot. No cost for the session.
She stated that she is looking into new election equipment.

Commission Comment: Jim asked Susan to look into what it would take to implement
the transient tax in the county.

Eric reported on information that he received on the crusher. He got a hard number
for the price of the crusher. He checked with another company and it would be a
year before we could get what we needed. A new crusher would be far more than
what we were projecting. Susan stated that Sourcewell, for equipment and services,
will do their competitive bidding. They get the best possible lowest dollar product so
that cities and counties are not having to spend all their time doing requests for
quotes. Susan asked if the commission chooses to go down this road is for her to have
permission to get with the local banks for lease purchase agreements and have them
bid on that. Lynne made a motion to purchase the used crusher MR130 Crusher and
953 Screen Plant for $1.356 million which will be paid for with a combination of Road
& Bridge Funds, Hard Surface Road funds and PILOT money for down payments and
Susan will reach out to local banks for financing of remainder of the balance. Jim
seconded. All approved. Susan stated this is a 10-year lease purchase. Anne Dare
asked where the machine would be coming from. Dustin Hall responded from Murphy
Tractor. Jim stated that 215th off Indian going south to 39th needs to be completed.
The lake road needs some work. Do what you can. Dustin Hall stated they are hoping
sales tax will be high again this year and maybe will have enough to care of all of it.
Lynne Oharah made a motion to approve the asphalt program Eric provided as well as
use Onyx for 5 miles as a test. Eric has discretion to trim projects to lower cost to get
new crusher. Jim stated to be very selective where they trim. Jim seconded. All
approved.

Lynne made a motion to adjourn at 10:57am. Jim seconded. All approved.